Category: Opinion
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Hollywood Doesn’t Know (and Doesn’t Care) What Real Teenagers Look Like
Written by Kara Hildebrand (she/her)Graphic by Quynhmai Tran (she/her) – Flipping on an episode of Riverdale (totally ironically, of course), presents the unsuspecting audience member with a cast in their mid-to-late twenties lamenting about relatable teenager problems. The school dance got canceled, the boy next door doesn’t like me back, and parents are so controlling.…
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The Philosophy of Suicide: Why Should We Choose to Live?
Written by Justin PastranoGraphic by Asiyah Saeed. – Trigger Warning: I have every intention of being sensitive towards those who have been affected by suicide. This is a profound issue in our society that should be discussed. The target audience here is not for those who may be experiencing these issues. The Myth of Sisyphus…
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The Freedom in Feminism
Written by Jadyn Simental.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Sometimes I catch myself deepening my voice to hide any form of femininity. I find myself eyeing make-up in stores, but then remember the time I was caught wearing it in high school and swore it was acne medicine. I talk about painting my nails with friends,…
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The Only Thing to Fear Is Fear Itself: Horror Movies and the Social Consciousness
Written by Alyssa Hiarker.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – We all know the horror movie experience: a darkened theatre, ominous music to set the mood, screams followed by a collective breath of laughter, strangers turned to friends as the tension builds with each new scare. There’s more to horror movies than just the moments of abject terror…
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Placebos, Chaos, and the Semblance of Control
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – For Allison, who told me I could absolutely write on a topic that I had never pitched to her before—you brought the best kind of control to this chaotic world. “To be in hell is to drift; to be in heaven is to steer.” When addressing the…
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Finding Meaning in the Snapstreak (Spoiler Alert: There Is None)
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Communication. Thirteen letters, five syllables, and an abundance of dichotomies: we do it all the time. From the fleeting goodbye you call out to your roommate as the door slams shut, to delivering well-composed answers specifically devised for a life-altering interview, communication is undoubtedly humanity’s unwavering…
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Beautiful Strip Malls and Musings on the Apocalypse
Written by Harrison Fernelius. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – Strip malls, aren’t they beautiful? Now before you pass judgment, please let me explain. Some of the most vivid memories of my childhood come from those summer days spent strip mall shopping with my mom. The palpable heat of the sun giving way to the ice-cold…
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You Can’t Kill the Undead: The Twilight Renaissance in 2019
Written by Frida Silva. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – When the Twilight films first started being released, expressing any positive feelings for the movies meant enduring endless shame and online harassment. Just like any other pop culture phenomenon with a fan base consisting of mainly teenage girls, Twilight generated endless memes and jokes at the…
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Why People of Color Could Be Hurt Most By The College Admissions Scandal
Written by Pilar Padilla. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. Pilar Padilla is currently a junior at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas. – Over the past few weeks, Austinites were hit with the shocking news of the University of Texas at Austin’s ties to the academic cheating scandal that swept prestigious colleges across the nation. The…
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I Should’ve Worshipped Her Sooner: How Hozier has Connected with the Lesbian Community
Written by Frida Silva.Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – There’s an ongoing joke in the lesbian community that Hozier is actually possessed by an ancient lesbian spirit, and that’s why his songs sound the way that they do. I, for one, strongly agree. I’m not saying a straight man isn’t capable of expressing such a profound,…
The Liberator Magazine 